Gear & Gadgets —

Android 2.4: tasty Ice Cream, due to arrive in May?

Most Linux distributors publish detailed release schedules for the benefit of the hardware vendors and third-party developers who rely on the software. When it comes to Android, however, Google likes to keep everyone in the dark. Android enthusiasts get to speculate wildly about the platform roadmap and release plan, just like their Apple-loving friends.

The latest rumors, which appear to have originated at a website called Pocket Lint, suggest that Android 2.4 will be codenamed Ice Cream and will surface at the Google I/O conference in May. The imminent arrival of Android 3.0, codenamed Honeycomb, seems to be generating a great deal of confusion about whether the 2.x version numbering will continue. The confusion was further compounded by the appearance of a 2.4 version number that showed up in the Xperia Arc firmware, although Sony Ericsson said this was caused by a configuration error.

Ice Cream is considered a credible guess at the codename because Google has historically used the names of various dessert items in ascending alphabetical order—donut, eclair, froyo, gingerbread, and honeycomb. The letter "I" is obviously next in the sequence and "Ice Cream" is far more believable than, say, Icebox Cake or other alternatives. Consensus among the Internet rumor mongers hasn't emerged, however, and the matter has generated some controversy.

According to TechCrunch, the actual name is Ice Cream Sandwich. This information allegedly came straight from the lips of Google's Andy Rubin, who is arguably more authoritative than the usual sources. TechCrunch theorized that the name "ice cream" wasn't chosen because a physical model of the dessert item by itself would too closely resemble frozen yogurt, which means that it would muck up Google's lawn ornament scheme. Naturally, that implies the need for a more easily distinguishable alternative, such as an ice cream sandwich. This seems like a reasonable deduction to us, but there are some who argue that TechCrunch is profoundly underestimating Google's lawn ornament crafting skills.

Whatever the desert treat Google plans to serve Android users, we won't know its appellation—or its arrival date—until May at the earliest.